By Alora Peters, Editor-in-Chief
Graduating students from Saint Leo University’s Honors Program presented senior capstone projects during the final week of the Spring 2023 semester.
Seniors in the Honors Program work together one-on-one with faculty members of their choosing to craft a senior capstone project; the resulting work includes research papers, service projects, and creative projects.
Dr. Tim Jussaume, the director of the Honors Program and an associate professor of philosophy at Saint Leo, hopes that the capstone projects gave Honors seniors an opportunity to reflect on and synthesize their collegiate education.
“I hope you get to the end and feel like you’ve accomplished something,” he said.
Most degree programs at Saint Leo already incorporate a senior seminar for students within each major. Jussaume stated that, in the Honors Program, the goal is not to simply give students another project to complete; rather the goal is to give students an opportunity to pursue an area of interest that they are passionate about.
“We’re so used to looking at degree requirements and program evaluations as a box to check,” said Jussaume. “It’s really empowering if you can see the project as an opportunity, at this point in your life where you have all sorts of support in the Honors Program, from your faculty mentor, from your course instructor … who will help you pursue something for the whole semester that you are really excited about. You have the freedom to explore that.”
Honors students are permitted and encouraged to explore beyond the scope of their chosen discipline; this year, many students conducted research in fields unrelated to their major or completed projects that allowed them to explore topics within their major from a new perspective.
“Whatever [project]you choose, it’s an opportunity to see yourself as part of the bigger whole,” Jussaume said.
Additionally, the seminar projects enabled students to explore the ideas of global citizenship and service to the community, both of which are foundational themes of the Honors Program.
“All of the projects give back to the community in some way,” said Jussaume. “Even if you did a more traditional research presentation or did a more creative work … it is still giving back to the community by sharing [your]work with all of us.”
The full list of students who presented and of their project topics can be found here:
Monday, April 24
- Rafael Soto, majoring in political science, presented “Is the Ad Making Us Sad? Are Campaign Ads Making Americans Sad?”
- Hannah Evers, majoring in biomedical sciences, presented “Teaching Children to Save the Mangroves.”
- Jake Solms, majoring in biomedical sciences, presented “Communicating Cancer Awareness to Different Age Groups.”
- Julia Ruggiero, majoring in elementary education, presented “Parental Involvement in Education.”
Wednesday, April 26
- Brooke Liske, majoring in political science, presented “Misinformation and Lies: A Case Study of Presidential Tweets.”
- Ashley Tucker, majoring in criminal justice, presented “The Impact of Mentoring.”
- Nina Michaelangelo, majoring in accounting, presented “The Business and Benefits of Equine-Assisted Therapy.”
- Jessaca Bristol, majoring in psychology, presented “Forged in Dragon Fire: A Lyric Essay.”
- Alisa Azzarelli, majoring in economics, presented “An Innovative Class Structure: Collaborative, Student-Led Method of Teaching.”
Friday, April 28
- Alora Peters, majoring in English, presented “The Charioteer of the Virtues: Prudent Marriages in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.”
- Lindsey Samuel, majoring in business management, presented “The Rise of the Nones: The Fate of Morality in a Religionless Society.”
- Abigail Gangemi-Hague, majoring in criminal justice, presented “Animal Abuse and Animal Hoarding: An Examination of Local Investigative Methods.”
- Nancy Lopes, majoring in biomedical sciences, presented “The Post-Antibiotic World.”
- Rex Soderlund, majoring in biomedical sciences, presented “People, Malaria, and Culture: Understanding Malaria through Global Collaboration.”
- Joranya Correia, majoring in criminal justice, presented “To What Extent Does the Portuguese Criminal Justice System Influence the Cape Verdean Criminal Justice System?”
- Angelica Molina, majoring in international studies, presented “The Panama Canal: A Collision of Ethics and Politics.”
The Honors Program offers an alternative track to Saint Leo’s University Explorations curriculum, with options for both incoming freshmen and transfer students.
“We’re always looking for students who are interested in a different kind of classroom experience,” said Jussaume.
More information on the Saint Leo Honors Program can be located on their official website at https://www.saintleo.edu/academics/honors-program, or on their Instagram page, @saintleohonors.
